Toriyama: Fabula Nova Crystallis cannot be stopped

Toriyama: Fabula Nova Crystallis cannot be stoppedThe director of Final Fantasy XIII, Motomu Toriyama, has revealed in an interview with Playstation Magazine that the Fabula Nova Crystallis series is "not simply exclusive to the PS3 and mobile phones." The statement gives credence to the possibility that a multi-platform MMO based on the thirteenth iteration of the Square series might be underway. The game director claims, "[T]here are many characters and legends that are branching off from the main story and universe. It's a huge project."

The director of Final Fantasy XIII, Motomu Toriyama, has revealed in an interview with Playstation Magazine that the Fabula Nova Crystallis series is "not simply exclusive to the PS3 and mobile phones." The statement gives credence to the possibility that a multi-platform MMO based on the thirteenth iteration of the Square series might be underway. The game director claims, "[T]here are many characters and legends that are branching off from the main story and universe. It's a huge project."

In an interview with Playstation Magazine, Final Fantasy XIII director Motomu Toriyama revealed that the currently scheduled trilogy of titles in the Fabula Nova Crystallis project are just the beginning for the series. Furthermore, the games are not limited to Agito's mobile devices and Sony's high-end console.

Responding to a question about hardware platforms, the director told Playstation Magazine, "In fact, the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII project isn't just limited to three projects - there are many different aspects. In terms of the formats we're reaching, as well, it's not simply exclusive to the PS3 and mobile phones. In Latin Fabula Nova Crystallis means "New Crystal Story" and we're using that as a basis for the project, but there are many characters and legends that are branching off from the main story and universe. It's a huge project."

In the interview, the director went into some details about the new battle system designed by Toshiro Tsuchida's team, which are reported to feature special attacks that speed the on-screen action into Matrix-esque "bullet time." "The Active Time Battle system of recent Final Fantasy games has been sped up to its limit in Final Fantasy XIII," said Toriyama. "It can't get any quicker than this. Compared with previous Final Fantasy games, the pace of battles in Final Fantasy XIII has been drastically increased, but we've still managed to retain tactical and strategic characteristics of the series."

Offering some new details on the game's female protagonist, codenamed "Lightning," Toriyama said that the lead's mysterious nature is not simply the result of Square's keeping a tight lid on story information - it's also partly a character trait. "She's the main character. But in the game, she's reluctant to talk about herself or her past," the director said, "so there's a strong element of mystery surrounding her character. The name Lightning is merely a tag she has chosen for herself - it's actually not her real name. We're planning to talk about other characters in the near future, but we're deliberately revealing them in a certain order..."

Final Fantasy XIII will not be headed stateside until 2008. New information on the Fabula Nova Crystallis series will likely come with this year's Square Enix Party in May.